Athletic shoes are designed in a range of shapes and styles suitable for various activities such as running, dancing, and jumping. Necessary attributes of an athletic shoe include a flexible sole, appropriate tread for the function, and the ability to absorb impact. Athletic shoes are made of flexible compounds, typically featuring a sole made of dense rubber. While the original design was basic, manufacturers have since tailored athletic shoes for the different purposes of use. As the industry and designs have evolved, the term “athletic shoes” focuses more on the design of the bottom of the shoe than the aesthetics of the top of the shoe.
Generally, athletic shoes for runners are categorized by the style and ability of the runner, with the majority made for heel-toe joggers/runners and constructed with a structure of “rubber” and stiffeners to restrict foot movement. Other runners wear flatter and flexible shoes, which they perceive will allow them to run more quickly with greater comfort.
Another running technique is to train the runner to overcome the natural tendency to initially contact the ground with the heel and shift forward from the heel to the ball of the foot until the foot loses contact with the ground during the forward stride. Athletic shoes that prevent the heels of the feet from contacting the ground while supporting the toes and ball of the foot benefit this running style.
Various attempts have been made to solve problems found in training shoe art. Among these are found in: U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,192 to Jose Miguel Perez, U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,623 to Armin Dassler, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,706 to Ettienne Penka. These prior art references are representative of training shoes.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed. Thus, a need exists for a reliable, training shoe system, and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.